Last Breath
by The Half Mad Muggle
Summary: A wounded Snape lies in his mentor’s arms, drawing what could be his last breaths. Wracked with guilt and sadness, Dumbledore can only watch, helpless as his dearest student slips away between his fingertips....


Last Breath

A/N: A oneshot which has been running around my head for several days, distracting my attention away from my work-in-progress The Phoenix Guardian...so I just had to write it!! Please read, enjoy, and review if you have the time! It's my first published fic, so....enjoy!

Summary:

A wounded Snape lies in his mentor's arms, drawing what could be his last breaths. Wracked with guilt and sadness, Dumbledore can only watch, helpless as his dearest student slips away between his fingertips.

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His face was growing pale. A tender hand had since swept the blood away, but the damage was done. Internal injuries that could not be healed, Dark Magic casting their curses. The Cruciatus destroying his mind from the inside. He did not have much time left. Lord Voldemort had done the most compassionate and the most terrible thing—sending back his favourite to die in his arms.

Albus Dumbledore had felt sadness before—it had been a major part of his life. But this time, the guilt emphasised the pain in his chest as his eyes took in every detail of the broken man gathered in his lap.

They sat...no, he sat and his companion lay...in the grounds of Hogwarts. It had been Minerva who had found him, collapsed on the soft green grass, in broad daylight. Students had seen and gossiped and gathered as Dumbledore had come sprinting out of the castle. He had not cared that it was his dignity being ripped apart, all he cared about was the broken body, covered in blood and sweat, calling frantically for the one he loved like a father.

He had known the moment he picked him up that it was too late. A soft voice had forced its way from a throat hoarse from screaming and shouting for mercy. Mercy that had not been given. "Headmaster...I'm sorry."

Now Dumbledore had to answer him. "Severus." His own voice was strangled by pain and sadness and incredible guilt. "Do not apologise."

"I failed you."

"No." Dumbledore shook his head, "You have never failed me, Severus."

"....Should never have turned...should have stayed by your side." He murmured, "It would have been good."

Dumbledore clutched the body closer to him, "No. It was your destiny, Severus."

"Then do not weep for me, Headmaster." His voice was stronger. "It will be my destiny to die here, with you."

"He destroyed you, Severus."

"He found me out. My fate was inevitable. He has done a good thing, sending me back to be here."

Dumbledore sighed, "He wants to torture me. He is trying to take away the thing I love most, you must fight for me Severus, you have to stay alive for me." He lowered his voice, "For me, Severus?"

"Too hard, Headmaster." The voice was losing strength, they must only have minutes left, and Dumbledore couldn't find the words to speak. He was bewitched, enchanted, hypnotised by the pain on the young face against his chest, the way his brow was creased. The blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to breathe. Dumbledore felt the sob catch in his throat, "You did me proud, Severus Snape, you did."

There was the ghost of a smile. "You always said that."

"I always meant it. Why didn't you believe me?"

A long pause, and Dumbledore thought...maybe...that was the end...but no...he was still fighting. "Why should I have believed you? I didn't understand the words, the idea of pride, no one had ever said that to me before...so why would you?"

These words spoken so honestly made the tears fall from Dumbledore's blue eyes; if someone had tried to love this confusing child before then...they wouldn't be here now.

A pale hand gently touched the path of the water on his cheek. "Don't. Not worth it."

The broken sentences were signalling the oncoming doom. "I will cry for you Severus, you are the most important thing in my life!"

"A project." He whispered, and Dumbledore shook his head. "Don't bring that up again." He warned—their last argument before he had gone back to Voldemort, gone back and been revealed, gone back and been tortured to this state.

"I never meant it. I was just angry. I never meant to accuse you of not caring."

"And I never meant you to feel that way, Severus. I didn't stay with you, I didn't understand your rage, I couldn't help you."

"I'm sorry." His words were crumpling, and Dumbledore grabbed the hand to try and hold him back in this world. "You can't go just yet, I...I still need you."

Another smile. "It's a new adventure isn't it?"

Dumbledore couldn't help the mirroring of his expression, "Yes, Severus. That's what I always say. You'll be doing it alone though."

"No." He replied. "I will wait for you. You need to be here, to save the children, to help them through their lives, to defeat...defeat..." An internal struggle, "Voldemort."

Dumbledore felt the welling of pride in his chest.

"I no longer fear him, Headmaster. I no longer see the truth in his cause. I have seen a different light. Yours. And it is that light that will guide me through the next stage."

Albus stroked his pale cheek gently. "You are a good man, Severus. You did so much for us. I will make sure your sacrifice is known."

"You have to fight. You have to win." He started to cough, violently. Blood flew from his mouth as Dumbledore tried not to show how much the sound was hurting him. He simply clung to the shaking figure, until the young face looked up at him again. The light in his eyes were fading, "I need...to....tell you something." He whispered, "Come...little...closer...."

Dumbledore leaned in, and the other murmured something into his ear. Dumbledore felt the tears fall, "I know, Severus." He tried to smile, "I know."

The body fell back into his arms, as he started to lose feeling in his limbs and chest. The black eyes met blue, and the older wizard gripped his hand tight, "I love you too."

A smile. A small sigh of exhalation. The eyes glazed. The figure was still.

Dumbledore rested his forehead against Snape's, sobbing slightly, knowing that he was being watched but not caring. He clutched at the cold hand, hoping that maybe some life would flicker back. But no. He had lost him. He had moved on, and was free from the world that had treated him cruelly.

The sun began to set, the sky transformed to red, the shadows elongated as the onlookers watched the scene of devastation before them...then a soft voice spoke up. "Severus Snape was a spy. He never joined Voldemort. He fought for us, for the light, for you. He was tortured for us. He died for us. To save what little light is left in this world. He was the bravest man and wizard of them all."

And not one person present disagreed with him.

~Fin~


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